One of the questions I get asked the most about how we travel is how we go about managing our finances. While we do still have a local bank account in Fort Dodge (solely for managing our mortgage on the home we still own and are currently renting out), everything else we do online through Capital One - both the 360 Checking and credit cards. I've been using the Capital One Venture Card since early 2014 and I am here to tell you it is hands down the best credit card I have ever had. Whether you travel or not, the rewards, benefits, and customer service connected to this card are unparalleled.
If you are looking for a new credit card for travel or just in general, I cannot recommend that Capital One Venture Card highly enough! Here are just a few things I love about this card:
- The Mobile App - If you have any sort of account with Capital One be sure to get their mobile app. From the app you can manage all of your accounts, contact customer service, redeem rewards, and more. My favorite thing about the app is signing up for notifications. I get a notification on my phone every single time my card is used - this means I can keep an eye out for any fraudulent charges and I immediately get to see what I paid for something in US dollars.
- Best Possible Exchange Rate - Speaking of knowing how much I spent in US dollars, the Capital One Venture Card gives you the best possible exchange rate. I purchased something for $2 Australian today, and Capital One charged me $1.37 US. When I googled the exchange rate that's exactly what it is for today! We put everything possible on our credit card for this reason - it's a far better rate than you get when exchanging cash at a kiosk or even a bank.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees - We don't get charged any extra for using our card abroad, and we never have to notify them when we are going somewhere new, making using this card quick and easy.
- Great Rewards - With the Venture card you get 2x miles for every dollar on every purchase with no limits to how many rewards you can earn and no expiration date for those rewards.
- Easy to Redeem - Not only are the rewards easy to earn they are easy to redeem! You can use the mobile app or the website to decide how to use your rewards. The Purchase Eraser makes it simple to apply those rewards towards any travel expenses and there are no blackout dates.
- Extra Benefits - There are several extra benefits to the card that we have yet to take advantage of like travel accident insurance and extended warranty. One we have used is that you automatically get car insurance on a rental as long as you used your card to rent it!
- Excellent Customer Service - It's rare that we have a problem with our card but when we do we have always had top-notch customer service from Capital One. Like, I look forward to taking the survey at the end so I can say nice things about the rep! We have yet to have a bad experience with them.
- Yearly Fee - Speaking of customer service...your first year with the Venture Card does not have a fee, then after that, the yearly fee is supposed to be $95. I say supposed to be because we call every year, talk to a customer service rep, and they have always waived the fee for us.
- Contactless/Mobile Pay - The new cards are all contactless (for any purchase under $30) which makes paying for things a breeze. Or you can set up mobile pay on your phone which makes things even easier - you don't even have to keep your card with you!
- Good (Almost) Everywhere - We have traveled the world over with this card and so far everywhere that takes credit cards have taken the Capital One Venture Card (with one weird exception of French gas stations for some unknown reason...)
I never thought I would rave about a credit card but I guess that's one of those things that happens as you get older (I turn 33 in less than a week!) If you are considering a new credit card for any reason I highly recommend going with the Capital One Venture Card!
If I've convinced you and you are ready to take the plunge, I would appreciate it very much if you use my referral code: https://capital.one/31gKQL6
With that code, you get the benefits of your awesome new card - including current sign up bonuses of an extra 50,000 miles if you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months and 10x rewards on hotels through January of 2020 - and I will receive $100 each for the first 5 people I refer. This does not cost you any extra, but it would be a great help to me!
Of course, I encourage everyone to be responsible with credit cards - the best way to use them is to pay off your balance in full every single month so you don't pay any interest but still get to reap all of the rewards! Don't sign up for a credit card if you don't need/want one, but if you have been looking for a new one to get, I hope you go with the Capital One Venture Card!
XOXO, Bethany